"LETTING OFF STEAM.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17524, 29 April 1925, Page 7

"LETTING OFF STEAM.”

THE ’BUS WAR. CHARGE DISMISSED. Incre appears .o have been some bad bicod bet '.•ecu these two men. | they were letting off steam between themselves, and I think ifc only right to regard it as a case of fifty-fifty. . . . These were the remarks of Mr Meldrum, S.M., at the Magistrate s Court tin's morning in dismissing a charge of obscene language again George Lowis, an Inter-City ’bus driver. Defendant who was represented by Mr Tracy, pleaded not guilty. Charles E. North, motorrnan in the employ of the Christchurch Tramway Board, said that the language was used to him. He had just arrived in from Brighton with his ’bus when the defendant came over to him and '■aid : “ I’ll give you dust. You're a nuisance.” Defendant then used the remarks complained of. 111 reply to Mr Tracy, witness said that it was usual for the defendant to “chip” at him at the terminii. Mr Tracy: I put it to you that you are the cause of all the previous trouble in connection with this man? I was called as a witness; that was all. Haven’t you said that you would drive the Inter-City ’busses off the load?-—To a certain extent. T would always try to get as many passengers as I could. Richard Bowen, condv tor in the em- ! ploy of the Tramway Board, said that bis tram had just got into the Square when defendant carre across and made the remarks. Tie said : ” What do the Tramway Board water the roads for?” Mr Tracy said that Lewis denied having used the language Defendant in the box said tha he was a driver or the Inter-City Motor Service. Or. the day concerned, he had received complaints from hie passengers that they had been troubled by dust. When he arrived at the Square, he went over to North and told him him about it. North called h'm a nuisance. " I told him he was a bigger one,” said witness, "but f. certainly aid not use the language that he says I did. He threatened me with arrest and I told him that lie was the man who 1 ought to be arrested.” In reply to Senior-Sergeant. Lew in. witness said that he thought that North’s threat was due to his having misunderstood what witness had said. Fred Dickinson, conductor on the In-ter-City 'bus, said that he heard defendant call North a blackguard; that was all lie heard. They then saicl something else to each othej, and Lowis walked away. Mr Tracy said that the trouble between the board and the Inter-City Service had not been a one-sided affair. Tt was all very well painting the 1 board’s employees as white angels, out the Inter-City Service could have taken action in several instances had it wished. However, the board's ’buses nad been driven off the road, and that was all that mattered. " There appears to have been some bad blood between thc-c men.' said the Magistrate (Mr W Meldruin). "The trams and the 'buses seem to have been out to clash with one another. Defendant said that the trouble arose 1 through North having kept ahead of him on the way to Christchurch and ■ given him and his passengers too much • lust. He had protested against it. and words had followed. 9 here is a con- 1 fiict of evidence as to the words tv ed: there was nobody about at the time, and the trouble was only between the men. They were letting off steam between themselves, and 1 think it only right to regard it as a case of nfty-filty. The onus is on the prosecution to prove that 1 Dwis used the language, and 1 don't think there is sufficient evidence to do this The cas will be dismissed.”